1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording device which allows an ultraviolet-curable ink to be ejected onto a recording medium to form an image thereon and more particularly to an ink-jet recording device free from an ink odor.
2. Background Art
An ink-jet recording device which ejects an ultraviolet-curable ink through an ink-jet-head onto a recording medium where it is then irradiated with ultraviolet ray and cure to effect image formation is characterized in that it is environmentally friendly, can make high speed recording on various recording media and provides a highly fine image with little bleeding (see, e.g., JP-A-2003-200564 (the term “JP-A” as used herein means an “unexamined published Japanese patent application)).
FIG. 5 is a schematic drawing that illustrates construction of a conventional ink-jet recording device of a roller conveying type. In this figure, the reference numeral 500 indicates the ink-jet recording device of the roller conveying type. The ink-jet recording device of the roller conveying type has a housing 12 in which there are provided a recording medium housing portion 20, a conveying portion 30 for retrieving a recording medium S from the housing portion 20, a conveying and supporting portion 40, an image recording portion 50 and a tray 90 onto which a recording medium S which has been subjected to recording in the image forming portion 50 is delivered.
In the recording medium housing portion 20, a housing cassette 22 for housing the recording medium S is detachably disposed under the housing 12.
In the conveying portion 30, the recording medium S is conveyed from the housing cassette 22 to the scanning/retaining portion 40.
The conveying and supporting portion 40 has a flat platen 41. Conveying rollers 36, 42 are provided both front and rear the platen 41, respectively. These conveying rollers are rotated in the predetermined respective direction. As the conveying rollers 36, 42 rotate, the recording medium S is conveyed from the conveying roller 36 to the conveying roller 42.
In the image recording portion 50 is provided a head unit 52. The head unit 52 ejects an ink image-wise from the various ink ejection portions on the recording medium S at predetermined positions. To each of the various head units 52 is connected a head driver 54 which controls the amount of the ink to be ejected through the various ink ejection nozzles. To each of these head units 52 is connected a supplying portion 70 which supplies the respective ink.
An ultraviolet ray irradiating portion 56 is disposed down the head unit 52 shortly after the image recording position. The ultraviolet ray irradiating portion 56 is adapted to irradiate the ink dropped on the recording medium S with ultraviolet ray so that the ink is immediately cured.
The tray 90 receives sequentially sheets of recording media S driven by the conveying roller 42 to form a stack of recording media S.
In order to inhibit the rise of temperature in the housing 12 due to the irritating light used in the curing of the ink in the ultraviolet ray irradiating portion 56, a ventilation cooling portion 80 is provided at the upper portion in the housing 12. The internal air is exhausted out of the device through the ventilation cooling portion 80.
Thus, the ink-jet recording device which ejects an ultraviolet-curable ink through an ink-jet head onto a recording medium where it is then irradiated with ultraviolet ray and cure to effect image formation is characterized in that it can make high speed recording on various recording media and provide a highly fine image with little bleeding.
On the other hand, however, the ink-jet head can difficultly eject a highly viscous ink. Thus, the head is driven while being heated to reduce the viscosity of the ink during drawing. In order to reduce the essential viscosity of ultraviolet-curable ink, an ink containing a volatile curable component is used. Accordingly, such an ink is disadvantageous in that it has an odor and the volatile component gives unpleasant feeling to human being.